


plushie talk

by specialagentsergio



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-06
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:40:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27422854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/specialagentsergio/pseuds/specialagentsergio
Summary: Spencer has trouble communicating his emotions sometimes. Luckily, his partner has taken it in stride.
Relationships: Spencer Reid/Reader
Comments: 5
Kudos: 76





	plushie talk

When you get home from work to find an angry blue octopus plush on the kitchen counter, you know Spencer’s feeling bad.

He had just gotten back from a case that afternoon, and you were looking forward to spending some quality time with him, but it looks like it might not be in the cards. The octopus indicates that the case was a bad one.

You drop your bag on the couch on the way to pick it up. You bought the plushie for him about four months ago. You’d come across it online while looking for a toy to buy for a coworker’s baby shower and immediately knew it would be perfect for him. Spencer’s a wonderful partner, and you love him very much, but he has trouble communicating his emotions sometimes.

“It’s like... I have all the words in my head, right? But sometimes I just can’t put them together, and sometimes I just can’t vocalize them. Sometimes it’s both,” he’d told you shortly after the first time you hit this roadblock with him.

And when he’s feeling _really_ bad, he can end up completely nonverbal, which can be distressing for you. You know he can’t help it, and you’re _certainly_ not judging him for it, you just hate seeing him in pain and wish he could tell you what you can do to help.

The plushie helps bridge the gap. It’s reversable—one side is blue and features an angry face; the other is pink and has a happy expression. It’s been a good way for you to know where he’s at without asking.

The alternate communication system has developed from there, and now you have a color system that expands on the two provided by the plush, giving him a simple way to express needs and wants. _Red_ written down on the small notebook kept with the plushie, for example, means he doesn’t want to be touched, while _yellow_ means he wants physical contact.

Picking up the plush, you look at the notebook now. _Orange_ , which means he’s okay with being touched a little, and _green_ , which indicates that his basic needs are met, so he doesn’t need food, drink or sleep. You’re relieved that _black_ isn’t on the list. Black is the worst one—it means he wants to be left completely alone.

You’re pretty sure you know where to find him. You take off your shoes before gathering the plushie and notebook up and heading towards the bedroom. You open the door as quietly as you can. Spencer’s where you expected—buried under the comforter and sheets on the bed you share. You can just barely see some of his fluffy hair poking out of the top of the blankets.

You gently touch where you _think_ his foot is when you approach to make sure he’s aware of your presence. “Hi, baby,” you say softly as you place the notebook and octopus on his bedside table. “I missed you.”

Spencer turns his head, moving the blanket just a bit to uncover his eyes. He squints up at you, which means he either has a headache, or has taken his contacts out.

“Purple?” you ask. Purple is the color for physical pain, and you’re glad to see him shake his head no. It’s the contacts, then.

You circle around to your side of the bed and get onto it, propping yourself up on pillows against the headboard. Spencer’s eyes have followed you and he continues to look at you now. “You have a color for me?” you ask him.

He winds an arm out of the blanket cocoon and signs _yellow_ to you in the basic sign language alphabet.

You spread out your hands slightly. “Go ahead.”

Spencer scoots forward in the blankets, maneuvering himself until he can place his head on your lap. Your hands drop to his hair almost automatically. “Bad one?” you ask, even though you already know the answer.

He nods. You begin running your fingers through his hair and his eyes flutter closed. “I’m sorry, Spence. I’m glad you’re home, though.”

He keeps his head in your lap for quite a while, but you don’t mind. It may not be the way you imagined spending time with him, but you’ll take it.

Eventually he shifts, picking up his head from your lap and rolling over. He picks up the plushie from the bedside table and reverses it, changing the octopus from angry to happy. He pushes himself into a sitting position and slides on his glasses. Turning back to you, he takes one of your hands and laces his fingers with yours.

“Thank you,” he says quietly.

You smile at him, placing your free hand on his cheek. “Anytime.”

Spencer presses a soft kiss to your lips, then rests his forehead against yours. “How did I get by before you?” he sighs.

“I don’t know,” you reply with a small laugh, “but you’ve got me now.” Letting go of his hand, you put both on the sides of his face and kiss him again, firmly this time. 

“God, I love you,” he says when you pull away.

“I love you, too,” you reply. “Should we order takeout, and then we can talk about it?”

You always talk about it when he’s feeling better. It’s important that you both process what happened, and address anything that may need to be fixed.

“Yeah, that’d be good.” He places a kiss on your forehead before you both get out of bed.

It may seem silly or juvenile, but your system works, and your relationship is stronger thanks to it.

**Author's Note:**

> this was inspired by a tumblr [video post](https://jessicaah.tumblr.com/post/630262565339004929). i saw it and immediately thought of writing a spencer fic about it. i’ve based this on my own experiences with being nonverbal and what i’ve learned from the kids i work with.


End file.
